Review: Catwoman #1

It feels like Joëlle Jones has taken on a lot to make issue #1 of the “Catwoman Copycats” arc happen and all of her work pays off. Jones manages to cram a lot of information into the 24 page inaugural issue and I can’t wait to see where the story goes. There’s not a wasted word or panel and every element Jones uses propells the story forward and made me want to know more.

Catwoman #1 finds Catwoman enjoying herself while a copycat version of her is attacking and murdering two cops. On top of that, a politicians wife seems to be more than a desperate housewife and Selina is poised to take the fall for everything.

Jones’ artwork is simple but also very good. While it’s gritty, it’s also stylized and a sleek canvas for Catwoman to be Catwoman and for Selina Kyle to show us some of her humanity. The art is shiny but understated and serves its purpose wonderfully by providing an adequate backdrop to a pretty interesting story.

The twists aren’t cliched, the reveals aren’t expected, the villain and the motive are appropriately creepy and mysterious and the artwork gives us all the fill in information that the story doesn’t provide without overshadowing the rest. The story Jones tells is pretty straightforward but also very inventive and human. We get to see Selina’s emotions as she goes from bliss, to sadness, to despair, to anger and inevitable discovery during her attempt to clear her name.

Catwoman #1 is a page turner. There’s a sweet slow start that immediately turns up the heat and comes to a full boil by the end. The artwork doesn’t feel like Jones’ best work or feels fresh but it serves the narrative well and complements the interesting story. The great thing about this issue is that even though you know going in what the story is about there are still little surprises and twists and turns that make what could have been a run of the mill arc an actual page turner. The action’s nice, the art is classic but sassy, and the writing’s clever. It’s definitely worth a read.

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